The race for space tourism is increasing, with multiple billionaires spending substantial sums of money to accomplish this feat. The latest announcement regarding this variation of vacationing comes from SpaceX, who confirmed that they’ve partnered with Space Adventures. This tourism firm has organized several trips for eccentric millionaires to the International Space Station, which took place between 2001 to 2009. Their newly formed vacations through SpaceX enables for four passengers to board the “Crew Dragon Spacecraft”, with the trip slated to launch for late 2021. Those that purchase this vacation package will spend five days circling our planet, which will be within a capsule that measures thirteen feet in a gumdrop formation. That’s what Space Adventures is urging only the most dedicated customers to consider this vacation option seriously.

Those that previously engaged with the International Space Station vacations are anticipated to purchase trip SpaceX Tourism Packages. They’ll reach altitudes that are 2x to 3x their previous heights with the recorded flight plan. It means that the multi-millionaires and billionaires will stand as the furthest human beings from Earth since 1966. The associated cost with acquiring this significant title is for no pun intended, out of this world. It’ll require an amassed fortune that less than 0.01% of the world’s population has acquired. This has led some financial analysts to believe this proposed form of tourism is unrealistic and that SpaceX might launch one of their eight planned trips.

Orbital opportunities for the wealthy have become widely available, with multiple large-scale companies creating the necessary technologies. Individuals like Sir Richard Branson and Elon Musk hope to lower the prices of Space Tourism to $1,000.00 a ticket. That’ll take decades to accomplish, with the current cost valuations listed in the tens of millions. There’ll also be significant delays associated with these vacations, with SpaceX requiring the certification of NASA to send humans into space. The Crew Dragon Capsule cannot launch until that approval processes are complete, which could follow before April 1st.

The NASA Strategy

The National American Space Agency is utilizing the SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule to send their astronauts into our cosmos. This follows after they’ve had to purchase tickets through the Russian Space Agency, costing the American taxpayers millions each year. There hasn’t been an American astronaut launched by NASA since 2010, meaning that SpaceX will dawn a new age for space travel in the United States. NASA will assist the private company in their goals, allowing for a partnership that will return the national agency to its former status.